Some Oklahomans Must Choose New Medicare Plan

Some Oklahoma Medicare beneficiaries must select new Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans after a Florida insurance company was deemed insolvent, or unable to pay its debt.

Thursday, agents with the FBI and Department of Health and Human Services executed search warrants at the St. Petersburg offices of Universal Health Care. The Florida Department of Insurance Regulation has accused the company of financial irregularities including possible fraud. Universal is already in the process of liquidation.

Universal operated companies that provide insurance to approximately 73,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. They will be sent letters explaining their options for health care coverage after April 1.

Who needs to choose a new plan?

According to the Oklahoma Insurance Department, anyone on the “Universal Any, Any, Any” plan needs to choose a new one.

Deadline Quickly Approaching

The Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) can help the impacted Oklahomans enroll in new plans NOW so the plans will take effect by April 1. Beneficiaries who don’t select a new provider before April 1 will be automatically placed on the original Medicare plan and a new prescription drug plan.

MAP counselors can explain the options and help with enrollment Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The counseling is available by calling 1-800-763-2828. Affected Oklahomans can also call 1-800-MEDICARE for counseling available 24 hours a day.

Plans selected after April 1 will go into effect May 1. The deadline for all changes is May 31.